Oblivion
by Kelsey L Leigh
Summary: An Elite Ship Master stops on Sanghelios to recruit a new crewmember - the only catch is that she's a female. This is the backstory of the Arbiter, as told by me. Warning: there is no romance in this story, only death.
1. The Choosing

My new story. Turns out I can write more than one at once without destroying my brain. I always thought if I put a second story on here, it would be another Avatar: The Last Airbender story.

I've loved Halo for ages, and ever since I've loved Halo I've loved the Covenant Elites. They were the coolest video game enemies I've ever faced, and I kind of fell in love with them when I read the Elite page on Wikipedia which talked about their strict code of honour. Maybe because so few people in real life care about honour, or even know that it exists.

So I decided to write a story about Elites. I hope it's good, and I hope a Halo fan - an Elite fan - out there likes it.

* * *

Oblivion

Chapter 1 - The Choosing

* * *

The Ship Master moved past the lines of unranked Sangheili in blue armour. Despite his height, build and muscled legs, his footsteps sounded only lightly on the floor. Some of the adolescents were staring fixedly at their feet. They had never been in such close proximity to a Sangheili of high rank. Indeed, it was unusual for a Ship Master to choose a crew himself. That job was usually left to a Major-domo or Lieutenant. But there were rumours that some misadventure had befallen the Ship Master's second-in-command. Galeg's vermilion armour and, more noticeably, notoriously short temper had been conspicuously absent from the _Unparalleled Supremacy'_s crew in the weeks they had been landed on Sanghelios.

It was well known that the _Supremacy'_s Ship Master stopped every so often to recruit a new crewmember from the Sangheili war academy. His disdain for lesser species such as the Unggoy and Kig-Yar was equally well-known, and who could blame him? Unggoy exhibited no honour in battle, no qualities of note except those of self-preservation and appetite. And Kig-Yar - those creatures were known to cause dissent on ships, exhibiting their own dislike for Unggoy by waiting in darkened corners and catching an unsuspecting Unggoy with the butt of a plasma pistol. The methane masks and breathing tanks of Unggoy were often found in the cargo holds of ships, usually together with some rather smelly bones.

The reasons were clear why the Ship Master preferred his crew to be of the Sangheili race. The only problems were those of ego. Virtually all Sangheili, while proud, honourable and willing to do anything to prove themselves in battle and demonstrate loyalty to a commanding officer, had no desire to engage in menial jobs - typically seen as the responsibility of the Unggoy - involving the day-to-day running of a ship. Regardless, it was considered a great honour to be selected for the _Unparalleled Supremacy'_s crew, even if the position involved cleaning of hydraulics pipes. It was probably the reason so many young Sangheili, even those who had not yet reached adolescence, had applied for entrance to the war academy this year.

Rumour had it that the Ship Master would only be taking one with him. If that was the case the Ship Master gave away nothing to confirm it. Both the suns of Sanghelios were high and bright today, and light gleamed harshly off his armour, bright gold as befitted his rank, as he paced backwards and forwards in front of the row of twenty Sangheili.

Only the Sangheili who had achieved the academy's top twenty results had been selected to stand before the Ship Master, to the disappointment of many. Those twenty were standing straight and tall, none of them daring to move a muscle as perspiration gleamed off reptilian skin through cracks in blue armour.

The red of a Major-domo, Lieutenant, Captain or Squad Commander was something earned on the battlefield, awarded at the discretion of a commanding officer. The same applied to the gold of a Ship Master or Fleet Master, which was given more rarely. Every male Sangheili dreamed from infancy of someday wearing the white armour of the Lights of Sanghelios - the bodyguard class charged with guarding the physically frail ruling class, the San'Shyuum. However, those were hand-picked by the Prophets themselves, and it was unlikely that they would ever again venture this far from High Charity.

The Ship Master paused in his stride. His mandibles moved as he spoke. 'I know all of you by name.' His voice was rumbling and deep, like all male Sangheili, but seemed more imposing somehow. 'I know all of your results. I know all of you have given honour to Sanghelios in your training.'

None of the young males - or the female in their midst - moved, but there was an imperceptible air of escalated tension surrounding them. They knew the decision would be made soon.

The Ship Master continued. 'I know who received the highest score in the Academy this year, and I congratulate him. You have done your family proud.' He did nothing to single out the Sangheili student in question. 'But unfortunately, serving on a ship - serving anywhere, in fact - does not depend on good scores. It depends on hard work, on the ability to continue sweating for your prize even though your enemies laugh and mock you.'

The Ship Master tilted his head, and a corona of sunlight slid over the front of his helmet. 'There is one student here who has demonstrated this ability, far more than any other in the academy.' He began walking again. The faces of the Sangheili behind their helmets tightened in - fear? Hope? It was difficult to tell.

'This student did not achieve the best score. This student demonstrated that she has the ability to push past anyone standing in her way as if they were a snivelling Grunt.' The Ship Master paused in front of the young female. She kept her head fixed firmly ahead, not daring to move.

'Vassiminde Voro. I wish to take you as a navigation apprentice aboard my ship. Do you accept?' The Ship Master bowed his head.

The female Sangheili looked up at him. He was a good three handspans taller than her. For some bizarre reason, it appeared as if she would refuse.

Then she spoke. 'I accept your offer with the humblest of thanks, Ship Master. You have my gratitude, and I hope to serve you well.'

It was the traditional response, spoken clearly and well. The Ship Master nodded in approval. There was a pregnant pause, as if none of the observers was quite brave enough to cheer. Females among the Sangheili were seen as little more than brood stock, and it was certainly unheard of for one to graduate from the war academy, let alone be chosen for such a prestigious position.

Then the roar began. It was a subdued roar, not raucous and celebratory but tamed with surprise, that the Ship Master would choose a female. Gradually it increased, and as the Ship Master moved away with his new apprentice walking behind him, head bowed in respect, it became deafening.


	2. Welcome To The Universe

Oblivion

Chapter 2 - Welcome to the Universe

* * *

The Ship Master walked in front of her. Vassi kept her head bowed. It was nothing to do with being a female in the presence of a male. He was her commanding officer, and her loyalty - as well as her absolute respect - now belonged to him.

The _Unparalleled Supremacy _was more spacious than any of the Sangheili bafttle cruisers she'd been on. She, like the other students of the war academy on Sanghelios, had learnt to pilot in one of those. The interior had allowed barely any elbow room - it had been designed to carry a Sangheili officer with a small platoon of Unggoy, and the Unggoy were a diminutive species. Vassi hadn't minded the tiny cruiser. Its small size had made it easier to manoeuvre. Her scores on the piloting test had been the second highest in her class.

The ship she was on now was a far cry from her test cruiser. The corridor that she and Ship Master 'Vadamee were walking down was double the length of the ship she'd flown. Vassi's mind wandered.

She had been her father's firstborn. Vassi knew the story - her father, a Major-domo who had earned the coveted right to breed, had hoped for a son, but gotten a daughter instead. As an infant, she had been sent to the household's harem to languish until she reached physical maturity. There she would have stayed, had her father been able to produce another child. As it was, every time one of the wives in the harem had fallen pregnant with 'Tnes Voro's child, there had been a miscarriage or some such. Finally, Major-domo Voro had gone to the harem not to produce a son, but to reclaim his daughter. Vassi had spent her childhood fighting the other Sangheili her age - all males, since none of the other men in her household had had the problem of her father. She had known even then that in the eyes of 'Tnes Voro, she was a replacement, a second-best substitution for a son.

So Vassi had made sure to win every single children's play fight she had gotten into. It wasn't hard.

None of the other Sangheili children had known what determination and drive were at that age, let alone fought with those things in mind. Vassi had fought like a demon, and she had always won.

Then she had entered adolescence, and gotten into more fights than ever. Many of the Sangheili males she had grown up with had started looking at her differently, many of them tried to have their way with her. Vassi had been unable to complain to her father. Her father honestly didn't care, and wouldn't have believed her even if he did - the right to mate with a female was a privilege which was granted to a male Sangheili by the highest of the household. The price of taking such a liberty as to mate without permission was beyond high, and few would dare risk it.

What her father hadn't understood was that the other Sangheili didn't look at her as they would look at the wives, who were revered in their own way. They looked at her and saw an intruder, an interloper into the world of men.

Then Vassi had made her application to the war academy, with her father's grudging permission - she had to carry on his bloodline, after all, and represent him, and fight honourably on the battlefield, and how was she to do that without an education?

Most of the males' applications had been processed in two weeks, and they were enrolled in the academy. Vassi's application had taken three months for approval. Even when she had finally joined the rest of them, she had to work harder than they did for every high score she got, which was always just less than that of the highest-scoring male.

It was strange that Ship Master 'Vadamee hadn't looked past her and chosen one of the others, one of the men. Vassi wanted to look up at the gold-armoured Sangheili's back but didn't quite dare.

She didn't know whether to question his motives or not. The idea of distrusting a commanding officer went so far against the grain of her training that her mandibles tensed and flexed at the idea. On the other hand, Vassi had never given anyone trust freely. Her instructors at the academy were supposed to be impartial, but they had constantly favoured the male students over her and made her work harder to always come second. Her father had only sent her to the academy because he had been unable to sire a son. And Vassi had never been able to have friends because she was a female Sangheili alone in a world of males. The lesson that Vassi had learnt from infancy onwards was that she could never expect respect, or indeed justice or fair motives, from anyone or anything.

Vassi put the quandary aside for the moment. She was to be employed in navigation, which had been one of her greatest strengths at the academy. The navigation instructor had had to work hard to find a way to put her second in that class.

'The bridge is this way.' Ship Master 'Vadamee's voice resounded, deep, throughout the corridor. 'Please follow me.'

Vassi obeyed. The doors in front of them lit green and slid open, and Ship Master 'Vadamee stepped through.

The room was as big as her entire test cruiser had been. Vassi was momentarily glad she was only an apprentice, and not in charge of flying the _Unparalleled Supremacy. _She recognised some of the keyboards with their primarily violet holograms, but not others. She supposed she would have time to learn, assuming Ship Master 'Vadamee kept her at this position. Several Sangheili, all males, all blue-armoured like her, were sitting at various consoles around the room. One Sangheili, obviously an officer, was clad in red armour and seated at the head of the room, in front of three terminal screens.

Ship Master 'Vadamee walked over to the red-armoured officer, his footsteps clattering dully on the polished floor, and spoke. 'Lieutenant, I have your apprentice as promised.'

The officer turned, glanced at Vassi, then did a double take. To Vassi's surprise, he didn't object, but nodded in deference. 'Many thanks, Ship Master.'

'Apprentice Vassiminde Voro, you are now in the charge of Lieutenant K'ruk,' Ship Master 'Vadamee said. 'You will report to him now. He is my new second-in-command.'

Vassi hid her surprise. The rumours about Galeg had been true, and Ship Master 'Vadamee had appointed a new lieutenant. She wondered briefly what had happened to him, and then bit off that train of thought. She was an underling. She wasn't here to think, or to speculate.

'Voro,' Lieutenant K'ruk said, pronouncing the last name slowly. 'Is Major-domo 'Tnes Voro your father?'

'Yes, Lieutenant,' Vassi replied, kneeling. She could tell by his silence that he wanted to ask if 'Tnes had had a son. He seemed to decide against it, and motioned for her to stand.

'You know the fundamentals of navigation already?' he asked.

'Yes, Lieutenant,' Vassi repeated.

The Lieutenant pointed at the left screen. 'You will operate this terminal. It will be insignificant if you make a mistake, since I am controlling the primary guidance system. You will do only as I tell you. Ask a question if there is something you do not understand, but otherwise remain silent.'

'Yes, Lieutenant.'

Lieutenant K'ruk motioned for her to take a seat at the screen. Vassi did so, and her hands moved to the controls. They were drifting through what was mostly empty space, which made for tedious staring at a screen, but Vassi didn't allow her mind to wander. She had been given a job to do, and she would do it. That had worked for her in the academy, and it would work for her again here.

'We are attempting to locate one of the outer human worlds,' the Lieutenant explained. 'So far we have been unable to intercept any of their communications, or decipher any of their computer information, as primitive as it is.' He let out a derisive noise. 'They have adopted this tiring habit of erasing data from their systems when they sense a threat from any of the Covenant.'

Vassi remained silent.

The Lieutenant went on. 'You do not need to know why this planet is important. However, if you manage to obtain any information regarding something called Reach, you must pass it on to me or to Master Vadumee.' He paused. 'Do not worry for your safety. This is a scouting mission only. We will return with a fleet once we have established its location.'

Vassi's mandibles tightened at the mention of her safety. The Lieutenant noticed, and quite unexpectedly let out a laugh.

'Of course 'Vadamee would have chosen her for a reason,' he muttered to himself.


	3. Here Be Dragons

Sorry about the wait. Life has been a bit crazy at the moment, with uni giving me lots of exams (gee thanks) in two weeks, work giving me crap and ex-boyfriend giving me crap. I decided to take some time out for Vassi, though.

* * *

Oblivion

Chapter 3 - Here Be Dragons

* * *

The terminal screen she'd been given to monitor had registered nothing for the past three hours, but Vassi still kept her gaze fixed on it. The most she did was occasionally adjust a vector to guide the _Unparalleled Supremacy_ past a larger-than-average piece of space debris.

None of the other Sangheili in the control room had said anything, but it was quite clear that they, like the others at the academy, considered her an intruder. Occasionally the one seated in front of the ship diagnostics system, tall and muscular even for a male, shot a sideways glance at her, derision in his eyes. It was obvious he, at least, expected her to make a mistake.

Vassi's mandibles clicked, and she mentally conditioned herself to ignore him. None of the Sangheili in the room were her superior, except for the Lieutenant, who seemed to pay her no mind as long as she followed his instructions.

The characters at the bottom of her holographic screen shifted position, transforming. Vassi examined the data.

'Lieutenant?' She addressed him. 'My terminal indicates that a Covenant ship is approaching us from the right.'

Lieutenant K'ruk turned to her, looking briefly at her screen. 'What do you make of this?' From the way he asked the question Vassi knew he was testing her.

She recited a classroom answer. 'The _Supremacy _is a little over three times its size, making it too small to be a battle cruiser. The system indicates a high level of radiation emitted from the rear of the ship, probably due to an old or faulty generator. Probably a merchant vessel, although any legitimate trader would have upgraded to a newer ship.' Vassi realised the conclusion her data was leading her towards. 'My estimate would be that this is a pirate vessel, Lieutenant.'

Lieutenant K'ruk nodded. 'Your assessment matches mine.' He reached past his own terminal, speaking into an intercom. 'Ship Master, we have detected the presence of a pirate ship, and we assume it is intending to board. Do you wish me to open fire with the plasma cannons?'

'Vadamee's reply came back. 'No, let them board. They shall answer to us. They are obstructing our mission. All who stand in my way shall taste the fire of my sword.'

'Agreed, Ship Master.' Lieutenant K'ruk leaned away from the intercom. 'Prepare for battle.' He turned to the rest of the Sangheili in the room, flexing his jaws. 'Ready your weapons. 'Neda, fetch a plasma rifle for my apprentice.'

The Sangheili at the diagnostics console nodded, leaving his seat.

'How close would you say they are to boarding?' The Lieutenant addressed Vassi.

Vassi bowed her head, examining the data at the base of the screen again. 'Perhaps five minutes, Lieutenant.'

'You will fight at my side,' he instructed. 'Do exactly as I say. Leave none alive.'

'There is no danger of that, Lieutenant.'

Lieutenant K'ruk laughed again. He stood, reaching for a pair of needlers which had been locked into the wall. Vassi rose. 'Honour in battle,' he said, and she returned a traditional salute.

'Honour in battle,' she replied.

The Sangheili 'Neda entered the room, holding a pair of plasma rifles. He passed one to Vassi, keeping his head raised and not meeting her eyes. Not for the first time, Vassi cursed the difference in height between Sangheili males and females. She had endured many Unggoy-related jibes throughout her time at the war academy purely because she was shorter than her male counterparts. Vassi guessed there would be more of the same here, and wasn't looking forward to coming off duty. As long as she was under the supervision of the Lieutenant, and he accepted her presence, none of her fellow non-ranking crewmembers would dare to discriminate against her. That would all change the moment she left the control room.

Vassi had hoped to avoid confrontation for as long as possible, since she would doubtless be the one blamed for any trouble caused. She had no wish to lose her position. That would be a confirmation of everything any arrogant Sangheili male had ever used against her.

She gripped her plasma rifle. There was a whirr from her holographic screen. 'They are on the ship, Lieutenant,' she said.

K'ruk's monitor bleeped. 'The damage indicator. They are trying to break down one of the lower doors.'

'Then let us fight fire with fire, sir,' she replied.

'Agreed,' the Lieutenant said, and Vassi could hear the enthusiasm in his voice. 'We are the arm of the Prophets. The Prophets' will be done.'

'Honour in battle,' 'Neda said, raising his plasma rifle to Lieutenant K'ruk.

'Honour in battle,' K'ruk rumbled back.


	4. Light the Fuse

Note that everything I've written about Sangheili society so far is canon - i.e. it's been taken from one of the games, one of the books or from other official sources. The sexism in the story has been assumed, since it's well known Sangheili females aren't allowed to fight and the Elites' culture is heavily focused around prowess in battle.

So no, I haven't made anything up in that respect, except for my characters and this story. Oh, and I don't own Halo, or Thel 'Vadamee.

* * *

Oblivion

Chapter 4 - Light the Fuse

* * *

The blast door separating the control room and the rest of the ship slowly raised, and Vassi gripped her plasma rifle. Her mind was carefully blank. She wasn't apprehensive at all - this was what she'd been trained for. Death in battle was the only honourable death, after all.

K'ruk walked in front of her, as was his right as her superior. 'Neda kept trying to do the same, moving in closer to the Lieutenant, but Vassi didn't let him pass. She was his equal, and she wouldn't let him forget it.

As they walked down a corridor there was a series of thuds against the wall to their left, and a guttural squawk which Vassi recognised immediately.

Evidently, 'Neda did too. 'Kig-Yar,' he rumbled, raising his own plasma rifle.

'Miserable pirate vermin,' Lieutenant K'ruk replied. 'They shall die drowning in their own filthy blood.' They approached another door, and he reached out his hand, entering a command on the holographic keypad. The door slid open, and they walked through. Lieutenant K'ruk paused, bowing his head in acknowledgement. Vassi didn't understand why until she saw a flash of golden armour and Ship Master 'Vadamee moved into view. He was gripping a plasma sword in one hand. The cyan light it emitted left a flare of violet imprinted on her vision, and she breathed in sharply, mandibles tensing.

Only Zealots - that was, Ship Masters, Fleet Masters, or Field Masters - were permitted to obtain the privilege of the sword. Even then, the Sangheili in question needed to have demonstrated considerable prowess in battle, personally slaying thousands of enemies. Swordsmen were not allowed to take wives, but could mate with any female they wished, even if the one they chose already belonged to another.

Vassi bowed deeply. She had not dared to dream of one day carrying the sword herself. It had been hard enough for her to enter the war academy. It was highly unlikely that anyone would ever grant her the honour of bearing the sword.

'Greetings, Lieutenant.' The Ship Master chuckled. 'It has been a long time since I tasted battle and wielded my weapon. I look forward to doing so again.'

'And I, Ship Master,' K'ruk replied.

'Honour in battle,' Ship Master 'Vadamee said, raising his sword, and the Lieutenant returned the salute. Vassi politely waited until the Lieutenant had finished before she acknowledged the Ship Master, as did 'Neda.

Ship Master 'Vadamee turned to the left, and they followed him.

'Where is the infiltration?' The Ship Master addressed the Lieutenant.

'They approached the right of the ship, and are anchored there. Therefore I would assume the holding bay.'

They passed through a few more doors. Vassi heard more squawks and gurgles through the walls, and guessed the holding bay wasn't far away.

Her guess proved to be correct. Their party reached another heavy blast door, the lock glowing red. The Ship Master stepped back to allow Lieutenant K'ruk past, who entered the code into the door's terminal.

The blast doors ground open. Vassi wanted to peer through the gap, but the two ranked Sangheili officers were standing in the way.

'Enough for your sword, Ship Master?' asked Lieutenant K'ruk.

'Indeed. My blade has been thirsty for some time. It cries out for the blood of my foes.' Ship Master 'Vadamee raised his sword over his head, and bellowed a battle cry. As he and the Lieutenant moved forward, Vassi caught a glimpse of what was beyond.

Obviously small ships were capable of fitting a lot of Kig-Yar. Vassi estimated the number at a hundred. The wiry creatures looked in the direction of the Sangheili, and a few cackled, the mottled green-brown skin at their throats rippling. A few carried energy shields, discs of luminescent blue-green illuminating the rows of Banshees in the dim holding bay.

A bright green glow caught the corner of Vassi's eye. A Kig-Yar perched on top of a still Banshee had its overcharged plasma pistol pointed at her and 'Neda, obviously hoping to pick off the easier targets. It released the trigger, and a bolt of searing green heat arced towards her.

Vassi ducked as it hissed over her head, then roared and raised her plasma rifle, squeezing the trigger hard. The Kig-Yar caught the blue plasma in the chest, shrieking, and fell down, purple blood staining its grey chest plate.

'Neda took a swipe at a nearby Kig-Yar with his own plasma rifle, dealing it a blow to the back of its skull. It crumpled to the floor, and its companion fired a couple of shots with a plasma pistol in his direction. 'Neda's energy shields flickered. Vassi took out the offender with a series of plasma shots.

Ship Master 'Vadumee had killed a dozen or more already. Vassi heard his battle cry again as his blade plunged into a Kig-Yar's chest, glowing blue as it cut through artery, muscle and bone. He pulled it smoothly out, the sword's edge slicing through the front of another Kig-Yar's throat. Blood spurted out, staining 'Vadumee's wrist guard. He didn't appear to notice.

Vassi charged at one of the Kig-Yar carrying a shield, dealing it a hefty blow with her plasma rifle. She might have been small and slight compared to the others serving on the ship, but she was still a Sangheili, superior to this creature in both prowess and size. The thing's skull crumpled like paper, a trail of blood and brain smearing onto her weapon. Vassi wiped it on the skin of the corpse before moving onto the next. She didn't think, barely noticed the occasional flicker of her own shielding as stray shots caught her. She had been mentally conditioned for this since she was a child.

Her body did what it had been trained for years to do, cutting down the ranks of the Kig-Yar, if that was what this chaotic maelstrom of pirate scum could be called. Vassi looked around for the next enemy, and snapped out of the battle lust when she saw none standing. The floor was littered with broken Kig-Yar corpses, the stink of their blood sharp and acrid.

Over the other side of the bay Ship Master 'Vadamee's sword lowered, its glow no longer ionising the air. Lieutenant K'ruk lowered his needlers, walking over to the Ship Master, and Vassi followed. 'Neda joined them, his arm stained violet.

'Well fought,' Ship Master 'Vadamee said, his eyes flickering over each of them. 'You do me honour.'

'The honour is mine to fight at your side, Ship Master,' the Lieutenant responded, bowing.

'And mine,' 'Neda interjected, his bow slightly lower than K'ruk's.

Vassi didn't say anything, just bowed with 'Neda. She had held her own in the fight, or so she hoped. She hadn't been counting the enemies she'd slain.

She caught K'ruk gazing at her thoughtfully, then looking away. Vassi hoped that wasn't a bad thing.

'Let us scour the ship for the rest of them,' Ship Master 'Vadamee said.

They did so, but from what Vassi could tell all the stragglers had been slaughtered by her fellow crewmembers. Every so often their group encountered one of the crewmembers in the hall, all of whom bowed deferentially to the Ship Master and Lieutenant, and stared at her and 'Neda wonderingly.

'They have been exterminated like the disease they are,' the Ship Master said, after they had walked the course of the ship. 'Lieutenant, have one of the crew remove the bodies from my ship and search the pirate vessel for anything which might be of interest to the Prophets. I shall return to the bridge.'

Lieutenant K'ruk nodded, and Vassi guessed what was coming. She was the newest of the crew, so it was likely that she'd get stuck with the chore.

'You,' K'ruk barked, addressing a Sangheili who was approaching them up the corridor. 'Remove this filth,' he kicked a Kig-Yar corpse, 'from Master 'Vadamee's ship. Check the pirate ship for anything valuable.'

The Sangheili nodded, saluting the Lieutenant, and busied himself with the job.

'Both of you, return to your stations in the control room,' Lieutenant K'ruk ordered Vassi and 'Neda. 'You have done well.'

Vassi bowed, surprised at the praise. The only other praise she had received in her life was Ship Master 'Vadamee's speech when he'd chosen her from the war academy graduates. She wasn't used to praise. No one had ever praised her at the academy, or in her household. 'Tnes had barely acknowledged her acceptance into the academy, or her good results.

She and 'Neda walked back to the control room in silence. 'Neda said nothing to her, but Vassi sensed that his hostility before had at least abated a little, even if it wasn't entirely gone.

Vassi sat at her console, occasionally glancing at the Lieutenant's. It looked like he'd set it to autopilot, but she knew from experience that autopilot systems were capable of making mistakes.

It didn't, though, and she was left for the next few hours in relative peace and quiet. Her plasma rifle hung on the wall near where K'ruk's needlers had been, purple blood and brains drying in a crust on its casing. At least cleaning her weapon would give her something to do when the Lieutenant relieved her from duty.


	5. Into the Void

Sorry about the wait, guys. I has exams. And they are eating my brains.

* * *

Oblivion

Chapter 5 - Into the Void

* * *

On the fifth day after the pirate attack, her fifth day of scanning navigation monitors and keying in adjusted vectors, Vassi well and truly had the impression that the Kig-Yar had been a welcome distraction.

None of her fellow crewmembers ever said anything aloud, but Vassi could almost taste the thick, heavy atmosphere of stagnant boredom on her tongue. On Sanghelios, she had never gone this long without getting into some sort of trouble. At the war academy, duels between students had been common - more than common, encouraged. Vassi had been in more than her fair share of duels.

Her legs stretched restlessly under the holographic keyboard. The screen in front of her bleeped, warning her of an approaching clod of ice and dust. Vassi's fingers skimmed the surface of the holograms, altering the ship's course accordingly.

Lieutenant K'ruk glanced at her screen and nodded. 'Good,' he said.

Vassi murmured her thanks. Lieutenant K'ruk had paid slightly more attention to her since the pirate boarding, occasionally leaving his seat and allowing her to take control of the primary guidance system while he stood behind and supervised. She had learnt a lot from him over the past few days, mainly through correction. 'Adjust the speed, or you'll overheat the rear boosters,' he had said a few hours after the pirate attack. Vassi had done as he said, feeling embarrassed that she'd been less than perfect. She had later come to realise that K'ruk didn't hold these small mistakes against her - she was an apprentice, after all, and here to learn his trade. Vassi knew that silence from the Lieutenant was a compliment, because it meant he had no need to correct her. Even this one gruff word of praise was far more than she had ever expected to hear from him.

She wondered if it was something to do with witnessing her fight the Kig-Yar. Later on, after she'd been relieved of duty, Vassi had expected to be harassed by the other Sangheili as she had in the war academy. She was to be in close proximity with fifty or so men, and hadn't been anticipating a good night's sleep. Much to her surprise, any male Sangheili who glanced at her had quickly looked away, eyes moving to the floor. She had noticed that 'Neda was treated the same way by the others in the control room, and had eventually asked him about it.

'It is a great privilege to fight alongside one's Ship Master,' he had replied gruffly. 'And one's Lieutenant. We have shared that privilege. But you more so than me.'

'Why is that?' she had asked, genuinely puzzled.

'Neda had looked at her as though she was missing the obvious. 'You are the Lieutenant's apprentice. You are by his side, as his pupil, every day.'

Vassi mentally shook herself out of the memory and focused on her screen. It was empty, as per usual.

She fought the urge to stretch her mandibles in a yawn. Surely such an action would show disrespect to her teacher.

Instead, she studied the figures at the side of the screen. It was mesmerising in a way, watching the components of the velocity vectors increase and decrease with the ship's minute acceleration and deceleration.

Her monitor bleeped again, and Vassi jerked her eyes back to the screen. What she saw made her breathe in sharply.

Lieutenant K'ruk stood up out of his seat, motioning towards her to sit in front of the primary guidance system. 'Tell me what you see,' he ordered.

Vassi sat, looking at the data on the Lieutenant's screen. 'We are approaching a planet,' she answered. 'The spectroscopy readings say it is not a gas giant. May I switch to the infrared temperature sensors?'

Lieutenant K'ruk huffed, indicating his assent, and Vassi keyed in a command. The screen shifted, showing temperature data as well as the projected surface of the planet.

'You told me that Reach is a human world, Lieutenant,' she said slowly. 'So its temperature must be suitable for human habitation. Which is about what is given here.' She paused before continuing. 'For us to be sure we would need to observe some kind of telecommunications activity.'

'Correct,' Lieutenant K'ruk said. He addressed one of the other Sangheili. 'Bring up the planet's radio wave emission spectra.'

The Sangheili nodded and entered a few commands on his keyboard. 'The planet's radio emissions are high in comparison to its size and temperature.'

'Apprentice Vassiminde, have you ever operated a Slipspace drive?' Lieutenant K'ruk asked.

Vassi lowered her head. 'No, Lieutenant.'

'You will learn today.' Lieutenant K'ruk leaned over her shoulder. 'The computer will calculate the Slipspace vectors for you.' He moved a finger over one of the holographic keys and the primary screen changed colour to red. 'Enter a position vector close enough to the planet for us to detect any satellites with the guidance system.'

'With respect, Lieutenant -' Vassi hesitated, 'will that not allow the humans to detect our presence, if they are there?'

Lieutenant K'ruk brushed the holographic key with his finger again, and a second vector entry field opened on the screen, as well as a smaller entry slot. 'Enter our current position here,' he ordered, pointing to the vector field. 'Enter a time interval of one-tenth of a second here. I will notify the Ship Master and prepare the guidance system.' He moved to Vassi's usual terminal, operating the intercom at the same time.

'We will momentarily transit into and out of Slipspace, Ship Master 'Vadamee,' he said, fingers moving rapidly across the holographic keyboard. 'We are near a planet and confirming whether it is human-inhabited.'

'Agreed, Lieutenant.' The Ship Master chuckled. 'Refrain from making the crew feel ill for any longer than is necessary.'

'Agreed, Ship Master.' Lieutenant K'ruk deactivated the intercom, and turned to look at Vassi. 'Confirm the vectors. I have readied the guidance system to take readings during the Slipspace interval.'

Vassi paused before hitting the button.


	6. Motion Sickness

Here's the next chapter. It took me a while to write - the Elites' speech is tricky to do. If I'm a bit sleepy or not really concentrating, I'll write them talking like the human military, and then kick myself and go back to rewrite the dialogue. Hopefully I did okay at that.

* * *

Oblivion

Chapter 6 - Motion Sickness

* * *

The sensation was only momentary, but that did nothing to lessen the violence of it. Vassi was suddenly conscious of being somewhere else, somewhere identical to the normal world but at the same time completely alien. Almost instantaneously, the laws of physics were snapped back to normal, then warped again, then returned to their original form.

Vassi hunched over her keyboard, feeling violently ill but determined not to show it. She straightened with difficulty and looked around the control room.

The other members of the crew seemed to be having a similar experience. Quite a few of the blue-armoured Sangheili seemed to be having trouble sitting up. Two had collapsed in their seats.

Lieutenant K'ruk was still standing up behind her, seemingly unaffected. Vassi wondered how many times he'd been in and out of Slipspace transitions.

'Are you well, Apprentice Vassiminde?' he asked, and Vassi heard him chuckle.

'I have never felt better, sir,' she replied. Her stomach made an ominous sound, and Vassi tightened her mandibles. It felt like her internal organs had developed lives of their own and were rebelling against her from the inside.

The Lieutenant chuckled again. 'Indeed.'

Vassi went to check the primary screen, and thought better of it when her abdomen clenched at the sight of the holographic script.

Lieutenant K'ruk tapped the intercom, speaking into it. 'All is well, Ship Master?'

'Of course, Lieutenant. What is your report?'

'I have readings of several of the human satellites, as well as one of their weapons systems,' K'ruk rumbled.

'Excellent. And we are within the coordinate range I gave you?'

'Yes, Ship Master 'Vadamee.'

'Your new orders are to plot a Slipspace course for High Charity,' Ship Master 'Vadamee replied over the intercom. 'Give the crew a moment to adjust if they require it.'

'Yes, Ship Master,' K'ruk replied, and powered down the intercom. He turned back to Vassi. 'Compute a position vector for High Charity, Apprentice. Today we return to the Prophets.'

The two Sangheili who had slumped in their seats revived a little at that. There was a rumble of voices around the control room. Vassi supposed most of them had homes on High Charity, and wondered what it was like there. She had hoped to someday find herself at the holy Covenant city, but hadn't foreseen it anywhere in the near future. Then she remembered that her commanding officer had given her an order, and her fingers flew past holographic keys, calculating the High Charity vector.

'We need no time to recover from the Slipspace jump, sir,' 'Neda said from his control panel. 'Let us hasten to return.'

'I agree. Apprentice, operate the Slipspace drive and send us home.'

Vassi sent the system back to the Slipspace command screen and paused. She remembered which key K'ruk had pressed to engineer a double jump, and her finger passed through it. The screen displayed one vector entry field instead of two, and no time interval slot. Vassi entered in the High Charity vector she'd computed, and initiated the jump.

She was ready for it this time, but the feeling of the universe turning inside out and doubling over on her didn't come. Instead, Vassi just felt rather light-headed, and that sensation faded quickly.

'The journey should take around seven hours,' Lieutenant K'ruk said. 'You have done well, Apprentice.' He motioned for her to leave his seat, and Vassi obeyed, sitting in front of her screen. She knew there was no need to monitor her secondary system in Slipspace - there were no projectiles to avoid. It was more out of habit than anything else.

For the first hour or so of the journey, Vassi had felt awkward. She wasn't used to having nothing to do while on duty, and kept expecting a reprimand from the Lieutenant for her inactivity. At one point, she had stood up, excusing herself to head to the armoury and clean weapons, but K'ruk had stopped her. 'At ease, Apprentice Vassiminde.'

And so Vassi had sat back down again. Having nothing to do wasn't so bad now. Her mind wandered, and for once she didn't force it back to a task at hand. She tried to picture what High Charity would be like, and failed. She knew that members of all the different species joined in the Covenant resided in High Charity. Vassi had never had close contact with any of the other Covenant races, apart from the pirate Kig-Yar in the _Unparalleled Supremacy's_ hold. She had glimpsed a group of Unggoy at a distance once, cleaning one of the practice arenas at the war academy, and that had been it. Vassi remembered the little creatures, chattering noisily in their orange suits and breathing apparatus as they worked. She had seen holograms of the behemoth Mgalekgolo pairs, the mightiest of Covenant soldiers, and next to them, the Prophets' race, the fragile San'Shyuum ruling class with their long wrinkled necks and soft dark eyes.

Vassi wondered if she would ever come to think of Sanghelios as her home, or want to return there. Somehow, she very much doubted it. Certainly there was no love lost between her and her father. Vassi wondered if 'Tnes expected, or hoped, that she would someday be granted the right to marry through prowess in battle and bear him a grandson. If he did, she thought, he was in for more disappointment. Vassi had no intention of allowing herself to be taken as someone's wife. Belonging to her father didn't hinder her in any way, because 'Tnes wanted nothing to do with her. If she married, Vassiminde Voro would belong to her husband.

Gradually Vassi became aware that someone was watching her, and she looked up. Lieutenant K'ruk was gazing at her, making her feel more than a little awkward and uncomfortable. Fortunately, his eyes flickered back to the primary guidance system screen, doubtless to check the progress of the Slipspace navigation. Vassi breathed out quietly, relaxing.

She thought of Ship Master 'Vadamee, and wondered if one day she might have his degree of freedom, to be the captain of a ship. It was unlikely. Vassi looked down at the glossy blue of her wrist guard, the armour of a Sangheili Minor, and tried to picture herself wearing the gold of a Zealot.

She couldn't superimpose that honour on her mental image of herself.

The atmosphere inside the ship subtly shifted. If she had been asked, Vassi wouldn't have been able to describe exactly what the change was. Everything seemed a little more solid somehow, a little more real.

Ship Master 'Vadamee's voice came over the intercom. 'I see we have left Slipspace, Lieutenant. I trust we are in the vicinity of High Charity?'

'Yes, Ship Master,' Lieutenant K'ruk replied.

Vassi shook herself. She couldn't believe that the seven hours had already passed, and was surprised that she'd managed to spend that entire time lost in her own thoughts.

K'ruk turned to the rest of the control room. 'We shall land in High Charity in a matter of minutes. Prepare to disembark and make yourselves presentable. Honour me, our Ship Master, and the Covenant holy city.'

'Yes, Lieutenant,' replied Vassi with the other Sangheili Minors in the room, saluting. They stood up and began to file out of the control room, and she did the same.


	7. High Charity

Sorry for making everyone wait _ages_ for an update - and I'm afraid it's only going to get worse. I'm going away to Queensland with my family for three weeks in a matter of days - there is sun, but no interwebs.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! (Insert screenshot of Luke Skywalker from 'The Empire Strikes Back' here)

I'll try and write as much as I can before then. And hopefully I can steal the Wi-Fi near a McDonald's or something with my awesome laptop.

* * *

Oblivion

Chapter 7 -

* * *

As the _Unparalleled Supremacy _docked at one of the landing bays protruding from the stem of the structure that was the Covenant's most holy city, its Ship Master was silent, lost in thought.

Thel 'Vadamee knew he would most likely be assigned another mission after he made his debriefing to the Prophets. He was unsure as to what that mission would be. He supposed the Prophets' next move would be to destroy the human world Reach.

Part of his mind contradicted that assumption. Thel had been in the Covenant military long enough to know that his assignment to the task of locating Reach was unusual. The strategy he had seen played out time and time again against the outer human settlements was simple, yet effective: a Covenant armada surrounded the planet in question and rained down destruction from thousands of plasma cannons. None were left alive.

For a single ship to be given the task of finding a human world and returning to High Charity without destroying it surely meant that something important lay on the world in question, something the Prophets valued.

Thel abandoned that train of thought. It was not for him to second-guess the will of the Prophets. He was not their equal. He was not even the highest-ranked Sangheili under their command. He was a Zealot, a Swordsman, and a Ship Master, but that meant nothing here. There were many others like him in High Charity. And trying to determine the Prophets' motives for his mission was an action which bordered dangerously close to heresy.

He led the way out of the _Supremacy. _His crewmembers followed close enough behind him to show deference to their Ship Master, but not so close as to signify familiarity. K'ruk Danasee was at their head, his apprentice Vassiminde behind him.

That was another matter Thel had to attend to. He knew how unusual it was, particularly for a ship within a prominent military fleet such as the Fleet of Particular Justice, for a crew to only contain one Sangheili of Major rank.

There had been two Major-domos aboard the _Unparalleled Supremacy, _until his former lieutenant had committed an indiscretion with one of the Minors. Thel recalled the incident. Galeg had always been in possession of a short, unruly temper, and a young Sangheili Minor had experienced the full weight of that temper when he'd neglected to salute as the Lieutenant passed him, cleaning, in the ship's holding bay.

Thel acknowledged that it was important for the more junior crewmembers to demonstrate respect for those who were officers. He hadn't agreed with Galeg that anyone who failed to observe this regulation should have his mandibles torn off and fed to him. So he had stripped Galeg of his rank, and the other Sangheili Major on the ship, the more level-headed K'ruk, had been offered the position of second-in-command.

It was clear that Thel would have to promote someone to the rank of Major. The only question was who. When Thel himself had been newly promoted to the rank and permitted to wear the crimson armour, he had personally slaughtered over two hundred enemies. None of his crew had demonstrated the necessary prowess in battle thus far.

They headed towards the gravity lift which would take them into the upper echelon of High Charity, and Thel glanced at Vassiminde, the navigation apprentice.

There had been an empty space in the _Supremacy's_ crew after Galeg's dismissal, and so Thel had gone to the Sangheilian war academy to look for a new crewmember.

He had been looking specifically for someone skilled in navigation, since K'ruk would no longer be able to perform the duty by himself with the added responsibility of Lieutenant. As per usual, he had been shown the training records of the academy's twenty best students. The obvious choice would have been a Sangheili by the name of 'Osru Chavam. He had been the highest-scoring student in the academy that year. Besides that, the high social and political standing of the Chavam family was well known. The Kaidon of the house of Chavam was a Fleet Master, an important and respected officer in the Covenant military. As well as that, the family made no secret that one of their ancestors had been an Arbiter.

However, reading between the lines of 'Osru's record, Thel had instantly seen that the young Sangheili was both hot-headed and a bully. The disciplinary section had told him that much. 'Osru had duelled many of the other students outside of class as a result of disagreements, and in each case, he had been the aggressor.

The crew of the _Unparalleled Supremacy _entered the gravity lift at the end of the hall, and Thel felt the familiar weightless sensation permeate his body.

He had decided against 'Osru. He had no desire to introduce another Galeg into his crew, and so he had moved to the next highest-scoring student.

What had most surprised him about Vassiminde Voro was her gender. Once he had gotten over that initial shock, Thel had examined the finer details. Her scores were all just below 'Osru's, which struck him as unusual. Reading further down, he realised why. The disciplinary section of her record was twice the length of 'Osru Chavam's. She had fought in many more duels than any of her classmates, and had never sought out any of them. Most commonly, the one to challenge her was 'Osru. Thel noted that each time, Vassiminde had been the one to wear the punishment when the duel got out of hand.

That had been the deciding factor in his choice. Thel had thought that, if nothing else, the Voro girl could keep her temper, and she had demonstrated that she was capable of tenacity and courage.

Looking at her now, Thel could see that she had clearly never experienced a trip in a gravity lift before, like many young Sangheili who had spent their life only on Sanghelios. Her eyes were wide in wonder and curiosity, a light clear blue. Thel was momentarily surprised. He had known that Sangheili females had a different eye colour to their male counterparts, but had never looked closely enough to see it for himself.

She was the daughter of a Kaidon, that much he knew from her record. The House of Voro was one of the few where Sangheili children knew the identity of their biological father and had the information taken down officially. The title of Kaidon was inherited through bloodline rather than the more customary voting system. It was an odd tradition, a method of transferring governance which had been taken up and then put down again some thousands of years ago. Some families, such as the family ruling the relatively small Voro district, had kept the custom.

Thel had never met Major-domo Voro, but knew that he had retired from the Covenant army some years back. He supposed that the Kaidon of the house of Voro was getting on in years. Perhaps he wanted his daughter to gain recognition in the army, demonstrate her prowess in battle, before taking the title.

Finally the gravity lift deposited them at what Thel assumed was the top, or close to the top, of High Charity's superstructure. They were in what appeared to be some sort of antechamber.

Thel was greeted by a Sangheili wearing the grey-silver armour of an Ultra. 'Greetings, Ship Master 'Vadamee,' he rumbled.

'Greetings, brother,' Thel replied, bowing low to show his deference.

'You are not to meet with the Prophets during your time in High Charity,' the Ultra said, as if guessing what Thel had wanted to ask. 'They have forwarded the details of your next mission to the Special Operations commander.'

Thel nodded. 'I am to meet him now?'

The Ultra shook his head. 'No. Your appointment with Commander Vadumee is scheduled in two days from now. You must remain in High Charity until then.'

'It will be an honour to do so,' Thel returned.

'Arrangements have been made for you and your crew to stay in the quarters of the Sangheili councillors, near the Prophets' chamber,' the Ultra informed him. 'In the next room is an Unggoy steward, he will lead you there.'

Thel thanked the Ultra, bowing once again. They moved into the next room and spoke to the Unggoy, who was diminutive even by his race's standards. As they were led through the corridors of the uppermost level of High Charity Thel was deep in thought.

It was clear that Vassiminde Voro had potential as a soldier, but Thel could not promote her to the rank of Major without seeing further proof of her prowess. Doubtless many of the other Sangheili on his ship would be more than capable of proving their worth if they were asked as well.

Nevertheless, Thel made a mental note to speak to 'Rtas about finding an armourer on High Charity. If he did promote Vassiminde, she would need the red armour of a Major, specially fitted for a female's smaller stature and slighter build.

Surely 'Rtas would find it unusual that Thel had chosen a female to join his crew, but he would come to terms with that in time.

* * *

Okay, I'm reasonably sure that the Ultras are higher in rank than the Zealots (hence Thel bowing to the Ultra) but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Otherwise, I hope you're enjoying the story so far.


	8. Kaidon

Oblivion

Chapter 8 - Kaidon

* * *

Vassi knew she was gawping at everything she saw like a simple-minded Sangheili child, but that didn't stop her.

Of course she had been taught about High Charity while she'd been growing up, and at the war academy. Every soul in the Covenant, including the Sangheili, knew the religious significance of the superstructure. Vassi had seen holograms of the inside of the city - mostly of the courtyards and the Hanging Gardens - but she had never thought she would be given the opportunity to visit High Charity and see those sights for herself.

Her father had been in the Covenant holy city for a short time while he was serving in the military, but Vassi had never heard him describe it. That was no loss. She doubted any description could truly capture High Charity.

Ship Master 'Vadamee and Lieutenant K'ruk were due to meet with a Sangheili Special Operations commander tomorrow. Vassi wasn't an officer - she knew no more than that. Until then, the crew of the _Unparalleled Supremacy _had been granted leave to spend their time as they wished within High Charity.

Vassi was looking forward to exploring the city - at least, exploring as much as she could of it within the short timespan of a day. Right now, she was walking alongside a garden. Of course, there had been gardens on Sanghelios - but Sanghelios had a hot and dry climate, and the grass there had never grown so lush and green.

She paused for a moment, walking towards the garden. Trees with fragile-looking branches grew over her head - a male Sangheili would have had to stoop to stand where she was now. In the short distance a stream flowed over a bed of rocks, which were smoothed by the passage of the water. Vassi knew it had been made artificially - there was no way such an environment was natural, here on a technological superstructure - but still she appreciated the cool, moist air and the sensation of the grass under the soles of her feet.

As she moved further in, she could see others in the garden. There was a Sangheili Major in red armour with what Vassi guessed was his wife, a female civilian wearing a simple white dress. The pair were deep in conversation, and every so often the Major stopped to touch his wife's hand or brush his mandibles against her cheek.

Vassi watched them, an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had heard of such equitable relationships. Occasionally a male Sangheili who chose a wife, a female to mate with for life, would have that female live with him in his quarters rather than sending her to the household's harem. The male in such a case would treat his wife as his equal, rather than a means of begetting a child.

Her father 'Tnes could have married if he had wished, but had instead chosen to exercise only his right to breed with any unmarried female, as was the case with many Kaidons. Vassi hadn't known her biological mother's name, and it had never particularly bothered her. After all, none of the other Sangheili children in the house of Voro had known their mothers. Vassi had only briefly been in contact with the other Voro women when she was very young and her father had not yet acknowledged her as his, and then there were a few more occasions after that as she was growing up.

The females in the harem had regarded Vassi as a curiosity, particularly after she had reached adolescence. Vassi was a Sangheili woman, yet she was not one of them and never would be. Vassi had always sensed that the other women in the Voro household pitied her at times, for being ridiculed and harassed by the males as well as being separated from the females.

She had never acknowledged their pity or taken advantage of it. Vassi was used to being alone.

Yet, as she watched the Major with his wife, the two of them laughing at some private joke, Vassi felt more alone than ever, without the internal strength she had built up over the years of her life.

'Greetings, Apprentice Voro.'

Vassi started, and turned around at the sound of the voice. She hastily dropped into a bow as she recognised Ship Master 'Vadamee.

He had shed his gold armour for the period of leave, instead wearing a cloak wrapped around his shoulders. It hung over the rest of his body, leaving only his feet exposed.

'Greetings, Ship Master,' Vassi said, feeling blood move to her face, still on one knee. 'You took me by surprise. Please forgive me for my lack of awareness.'

The Ship Master motioned for her to rise. 'No forgiveness is needed on my part,' he responded. 'How are you finding High Charity, Apprentice?'

Vassi started internally. The question about her personal welfare, particularly from the captain of her ship, was totally unexpected.

'It is different to Sanghelios,' she replied, and then mentally cursed her stupidity. Of _course _High Charity was different from the Sangheili homeworld, any dolt could see that.

Ship Master 'Vadamee nodded thoughtfully. 'You have not visited the holy city before?'

Vassi shook her head, not trusting herself to speak.

'There are many wondrous sights in High Charity,' the Ship Master continued. 'I have nothing much to do today, and would appreciate company. Would you walk with me?'

Feeling herself flush purple again, Vassi bowed. 'Only if I would not be an inconvenience to your Excellency.'

'You will not, Apprentice.'

They left the garden, walking in silence, and Vassi found herself wondering what was going through the Ship Master's mind. She wondered why he would choose to spend time with her. She had guessed that he and Lieutenant K'ruk were friends outside of the military - surely if Master 'Vadamee had wanted someone to walk with, K'ruk would have been a better choice than a lowly Sangheili Minor apprentice he barely knew.

'The Lieutenant is busy today, occupying time by visiting family in the city,' the Ship Master said, as if guessing what she was thinking. 'I had no wish to spend all day inside the Councillors' rooms alone, so I decided to go out.'

'As did I,' Vassi replied. 'I did not know Lieutenant K'ruk had relatives in High Charity.' She phrased the sentence almost questioningly, unsure of how she should speak to the Ship Master in what he had established as almost a social setting.

'He is visiting 'Zuka Danasee,' the Ship Master answered her.

Vassi searched her memory for the familiar name. 'The Danas Kaidon?'

The Ship Master nodded. 'I suppose you know of him through your father. He is Kaidon of the Voro district, is he not?'

So Master 'Vadamee knew that 'Tnes was the Voro Kaidon. Vassi assumed he'd obtained that information from her academy record.

She nodded. If it weren't for her father's title as Kaidon, it was unlikely that Vassi would ever have been retrieved from the Voro harem. Aside from that, her father's social standing within the Voro household had been nothing but a thorn in her side from the first day she had been acknowledged as her father's firstborn.

None of the Voro men liked the idea that Vassi would someday hold the title of Kaidon. Her father's position hadn't lessened the animosity of the Voro males towards her, but increased it.

'I never had the opportunity to meet your father,' Ship Master 'Vadamee continued. 'Perhaps I should request a visit from him. We would have much to talk of as fellow Kaidons.'

Vassi nearly tripped over her own feet in shock. Of course she had known the Ship Master was born of the State of Vadam - that much was obvious from his name. But she had been entirely ignorant of the fact that she was walking alongside the Kaidon of the most powerful estate on Sanghelios.

The Ship Master chuckled. 'You seem alarmed.'

Vassi straightened herself. 'I apologise, your Excellency. I was not aware that you were the Kaidon of the State of 'Vadam.'

'Your apology is unnecessary,' Master 'Vadamee replied, adjusting his cloak. He gestured to the edge of the platform they'd reached. 'If you look down here you will see the Unggoy methane fields.'

Moving in the direction he'd indicated, taking care not to venture too close to the platform's edge, Vassi looked down.

Once the initial surge of dizzying vertigo had worn off, she could see the field. Far beneath her, much too far away for Vassi to make out individual details, were moving grey figures on an expanse of grass and the occasional low-lying cloud. At first she was unsure as to what the grey creatures actually were, but then realised they were Unggoy without the distinctive brightly-coloured armour and breathing apparatus.

'What do you think of the Unggoy?' the Ship Master asked her.

'I have heard some say that they are capable of fighting with great pride and honour,' Vassi replied. 'Others say that they are cowardly and self-centred. I myself have not had much experience with them.'

The Ship Master made a noise in his throat. 'I think you know that my opinion on the subject is the latter.'

'Surely, though, it is inaccurate to judge an entire race on the characteristics of some of its members?' It was as if Vassi's vocal chords were operating entirely on their own. 'For all we know, there could be a handful who are very capable fighters.'

Vassi's mind was frozen in disbelief at the words she'd just uttered. She had as good as contradicted Ship Master 'Vadamee, as if she were his _equal. _

Oddly, the Ship Master seemed to have hardly noticed her discomfort. 'An interesting argument,' he rumbled. 'Perhaps you are correct. Although from what I have seen, I would have to say that these competent Unggoy fighters must be few and far between.' He laughed, and Vassi, stunned, laughed with him.

'Ah, you have outwitted me, Apprentice Vassiminde,' the Ship Master continued. 'I demonstrated your argument myself, not so long ago. There are many who judge all Sangheili females to be unsuited for combat. I chose not to judge you, and look how I have been rewarded - with a capable warrior as well as an excellent verbal sparring partner.' He laughed again.

Vassi could feel herself turning purple in the face. 'You do me too much honour, Ship Master 'Vadamee. I wish only to experience something of battle and earn the respect of my family.'

'It is sensible for a future Kaidon to desire experience,' Ship Master 'Vadamee replied thoughtfully. They moved away from the platform's edge, continuing their walk. 'That is something you have in common with my Lieutenant. He is well liked within the Danas family, and will most likely be voted Kaidon if fortune is so unkind as to bring about the death of 'Zuka Danasee.'

Vassi nodded. 'Serving under him, I can see that he is more than competent as a commanding officer and as a Sangheili.'

The Ship Master changed the subject again. 'Is there anything you particularly wish to see in High Charity, Apprentice?'

'I have long desired to see inside the Mausoleum of the Arbiter, Ship Master,' Vassi replied, a little hesitantly, 'although I doubt I would be permitted that privilege.'

The Ship Master nodded. 'Indeed, that honour is too high even for me. I will take you to see the exterior of the Forerunner Dreadnought. Truly that is a sight to behold.'

As they walked through High Charity, Vassi couldn't help but feel in awe of her commanding officer, sometimes taking a while to reply when he asked her even a simple question. As time went on, she grew more relaxed, although still a little puzzled as to whether his motive for spending time with her was really a simple wish for company.

She tried not to think about the fact that the tour might just be an extended test.

* * *

Last update (probably) for three weeks, everyone.

I hope you liked the chapter, sorry for any boo-boos I've made thus far (including the Zealot/Ultra ranking thing, and the fact that 'Vassiminde' isn't a typical Sangheili name. Rest assured all mistakes are being repetitively facepalmed over, right now).

As soon as I can get in the next chapter you will be rewarded for your patience with a cameo from 'Rtas.

YEAH! 'RTAS!

On another note…I'll be sure to update as soon as I can (providing rural Queensland even _has _anywhere with wireless internet, gaaah.)

* * *

'Rtas: I get to be in the story?

Me: Yes, you do. But not for three weeks.

Vassi: Three weeks? What are we doing for three weeks?

Me: Um, I guess you can hang out with Thel…

'Rtas: Hurry up and write my cameo, woman!

Thel: Write the next chapter already. *breaks out energy sword*

Me: AAAH! *runs to Queensland*

Hehe. Yes, I'll write it - Thel, please don't break out of my computer screen while I'm playing Halo 2 and kick my ass.


	9. Proposal

At last I am writing for my poor Sangheili. I felt a bit sorry for them, they've been confined within Chapter 8 for almost a month.

Anyway, this one is finally done! I got a bit stuck, I wasn't sure how to bring in 'Rtas, but I think I've done it right. I wanted to bring in this idea I've always had, that 'Rtas and Thel knew each other before Thel became the Arbiter. It's one of the many weird little thoughts that I have in regards to the Haloverse.

This chapter is dedicated to the Halo 2 cutscenes with Thel and 'Rtas in them, because that was where I got the idea for it. Particularly the one where 'Rtas is arguing with the Prophets about the Brutes becoming Honour Guards. Thel enters the room, and then 'Rtas leaves, giving him this sort of nod as they walk past each other. Could just be in my head, I suppose.

Oh, and don't forget the uber plot twist that's coming.

* * *

Oblivion

Chapter 9 - Proposal

* * *

Vassi knelt beside K'ruk, in her place as his apprentice. The only Sangheili standing was the Ship Master, who was given that privilege due to his rank. She knew the Commander would be entering the anteroom soon to give the Ship Master his next assignment, and couldn't help but wonder what it would be.

Only a fraction of the _Supremacy_'s crew were present. Besides herself, Master 'Vadamee, and the Lieutenant, there were only twelve other Sangheili. Vassi counted 'Neda among them, as well as some of the others from the control room. The rest were Minor-domos she didn't recognise. That was hardly surprising - although the other crewmembers showed her respect and even deference, none of them had ever made a move to strike up a conversation with her.

Vassi thought back to her 'tour' of High Charity yesterday, with Ship Master 'Vadamee as her guide. Her initial fears that it had been some sort of test had seemed unfounded - the Ship Master had been nothing but courteous. Her guide had steadily conversed with her for the duration of the trip, seemed interested in what she had to say, and even made a few jokes. It had been the only real social interaction she'd had with another Sangheili. The conversation between them had flowed so easily, despite the fact that the Ship Master had to be at least twice her age.

She heard the familiar hiss of doors sliding open. Without moving her head, Vassi lifted her eyes, looking up as footsteps signalled the entrance of the Special Operations Commander.

When she saw his jaws, the pink stubs on the left side marred with scar tissue where mandibles should have been, she breathed in sharply and looked back at the ground.

'_Rtas Vadumee, _she thought, blood rising to her face. _Half-Jaw. _

She had heard the stories, all the Sangheili children her age had, of his prowess in battle. Rumour had it that Commander 'Rtas Vadumee had personally slain thousands of enemies in combat, and ordered the destruction of twenty human worlds.

'You may rise,' ordered Ship Master 'Vadamee. Vassi obeyed, although she acknowledged K'ruk's rank of Lieutenant and Major by waiting for him to rise first.

Now she had a clear view of the Commander. Her eyes moved to his silver Ultra's armour before flicking back to his face. His eyes were unusual, a clear deep green. Vassi knew most females would consider the Commander to be attractive despite the loss of two of his mandibles, but she had never allowed herself - or been inclined towards – to think such thoughts about Sangheili men.

Involuntarily, her glance shifted towards Master 'Vadamee. He was wearing his gold armour again as usual, the light in the room reflecting off it and throwing pale arcs on the floor beside him. Vassi realised her initial assessment had been wrong. The Ship Master was older than her, certainly, but definitely not twice her age. He wasn't quite old enough to be her father, although he was taller than 'Tnes and more muscular.

Vassi adjusted her gaze, staring directly in front of her as she had at the choosing ceremony so long ago.

'Rtas was walking past the other Minors, glancing at them as he did. He approached Vassi, and she saw the look of surprise in his eyes as he registered her gender. Then, mercifully, he moved on to stand in front of the Ship Master.

'It has been a long time, Ship Master 'Vadamee.' The Commander's voice was deep and clear.

'That it has. It is unfortunate that we have not had the opportunity to meet for so long,' Master 'Vadamee replied.

'And now we do so on a matter of business,' answered 'Rtas, sounding regretful. Then his tone changed, becoming brisk. 'But I am meeting with you by the will of the Prophets now, and they wish me to give you your next assignment.'

The Ship Master nodded, and 'Rtas went on. 'This is the group you have chosen?'

Vassi blinked at that. Of course she should have realised the significance of the presence of only part of the crew.

'It is. I have chosen my Lieutenant, his apprentice, and a number of my most diligent crewmembers,' rumbled the Ship Master.

'Very well.' 'Rtas turned to address the group as a whole. 'The Prophets wish for you to intercept a Human battle cruiser and infiltrate it,' he told them. 'Your priority is to recover their ship's artificial intelligence construct. It has information regarding a - weapon, of sorts, that the Humans have devised to use against us. You will kill any of the enemy which stand in your paths, and then you will await pickup from your ship.'

'The Lieutenant will command the _Unparalleled Supremacy_ while we are on board the Human ship, completing the mission,' the Ship Master said. 'Is that understood?'

'Yes, Ship Master,' Vassi, K'ruk and the other Sangheili replied in unison.

'Then you are dismissed,' Ship Master 'Vadamee replied. 'I would speak with Commander Vadumee alone.'

As they departed the anteroom, Vassi glanced to her left and saw Lieutenant K'ruk, matching his strides to her own. As if he sensed her gaze, the Lieutenant turned his head and spoke to her.

'May I discuss something with you in private, Apprentice?'

Surprised at the request, Vassi nodded, her mind racing. She had executed the Slipspace jump to High Charity perfectly, transmitted the correct clearance codes. She had performed every duty the Lieutenant had asked of her to the best of her ability, and he had never had cause to reprimand her. To the best of her knowledge, she had done nothing wrong, and yet she was afraid.

Lieutenant K'ruk led her outside the council chambers, towards a balcony which looked out onto the city. Vassi stood beside him, looking at her feet. Had she committed some indiscretion yesterday, offended the Ship Master in some way?

'I have spoken with Ship Master 'Vadamee,' K'ruk said, confirming Vassi's suspicions.

She lowered her head. 'I apologise for any offence I have caused. I assure you it was unintentional.'

'Offence?' K'ruk sounded surprised. 'He said nothing of any offence. Ship Master 'Vadamee had only praises to speak of you with. He says you are a fine warrior and I am fortunate to have you as my apprentice.'

Vassi straightened, feeling herself blush. 'Then I thank the Ship Master for his compliments, and will tell him so at my next opportunity.'

'He also mentioned that you are to be Kaidon of your district someday, which I know already,' K'ruk continued. He turned to face her. Vassi looked in his eyes and dreaded what he would say next.

'I too am likely to become a Kaidon in the future. Therefore, I feel it would be in both our best interests to marry.'

Vassi struggled to breathe, and felt all the colour draining out of her face.

'Are you well, Apprentice?' K'ruk sounded concerned.

'I am fine, sir.' In truth, Vassi was anything but fine. She forced herself to take in a deep breath, still looking at her commanding officer.

'You need not worry about losing your title, or your position in the Covenant army,' K'ruk said. 'As the Ship Master said, you are a fine crewmember, and it would be a shame to lose you. Of course I would not confine you to the Danas harem – you would be treated as an equal.'

Vassi looked away. 'I am honoured by your offer, Lieutenant.' She paused and continued. 'But this is a weighty decision to make. I humbly request that you allow me some time to think.'

'Of course.' K'ruk inclined his head. 'A wise decision. Hopefully I shall hear from you soon.'

He left the balcony, leaving Vassi alone. She let out the breath she had been holding and leaned over the rail, letting her head fall into her hands.


	10. You Asked Me To Dance

Wait…could this be an update? Why, yes it is! I know I haven't written for ages, sorry everyone. I've been massively busy with a) uni, b) job hunting and c) my new Bleach fanfiction. I did state at the beginning that this one was going to be a side project, but leaving it neglected for seven weeks is pretty slack nevertheless.

In further news, **I have drawn Vassi and Thel!** Oh the awesomeness. Unfortunately I can't give you guys a link for one very legitimate reason:

It contains a giant spoiler.

Hopefully you'll get it soon, though. Meaning I'm going to try and get off my lazy a** and write this fic faster.

* * *

Oblivion

Chapter 10 - You Asked Me To Dance

* * *

K'ruk had done well. They had departed High Charity immediately, and made excellent time within the Slipspace jump. It was vital for the escape pod to be in precisely the right position at precisely the right time in order to board the human military vessel, and K'ruk's coordinates had achieved that.

Thel made a mental note to congratulate his adjutant when their group returned to the _Unparalleled Supremacy. _

He glanced around at the team he had selected at 'Rtas' request. He had chosen the best of his crew save K'ruk, or so he believed. There was little breathing room inside the escape pod - fourteen Sangheili occupied a lot of space, and there was the occasional whispered rebuke when someone's plasma rifle pressed into his comrade's back.

Thel glanced over at the smallest of all the Sangheili in the pod. Vassiminde was standing against the wall, out of the way of the larger males. She was silent, resting her forehead against the wall.

She seemed troubled, and Thel wondered what was on the navigation apprentice's mind.

K'ruk's voice came through over the escape pod's intercom. 'Ship Master, brace yourself and your group. Soon the pod will impact the human ship.'

The Sangheili Minors began to press themselves against the walls, legs bending slightly at the knees. Thel did the same. He was given plenty of room, of course. He looked in Vassiminde's direction again, and saw that she hadn't been offered the same courtesy. She was squashed between two of the Minors. If she was uncomfortable, her face didn't show it. She still looked preoccupied, her blue eyes not focusing on anything in particular.

The pod latched onto the ship's airlock, sending a jolt through Thel and his group. Several of the Minors momentarily lost balance, stumbling before standing upright again. When everyone had readjusted themselves, Thel began to speak.

'You were all listening when Commander Vadumee gave his instructions,' he rumbled. 'Our aim is to take their construct, swiftly and quietly. We are not to take any longer than is necessary, is that understood?'

The Sangheili Minors voiced their agreement, and Thel continued.

'It is important that they are not given the time to destroy, or erase, the artificial intelligence. If they do that, then we have failed this mission and failed the Prophets.' Thel looked around at all of them. 'I know you will do me honour.' He brushed a finger past a holographic control on the wall. The door of the escape pod hissed open, followed by the matching sound of the airlock doors.

'Apprentice Vassiminde and I will seek out the ship's bridge and the construct,' he instructed. 'The rest of you will provide cover, and keep human reinforcements from following us.'

Thel saw Vassiminde's head lift at the sound of her name. The Minors began to file out of the escape pod, lifting their plasma rifles warily. Thel lingered behind, waiting until they had all left.

'Apprentice,' he said. 'Is something bothering you?'

Vassiminde looked startled, blue eyes widened. 'No, Excellency, of course not.'

'You are not nervous?' he asked.

'No.' Vassiminde shook her head. 'Never. Although I am -' She paused, looking hesitant. 'I am curious as to why you chose me to accompany you.'

'You are a capable and intelligent warrior.' The purple flush touching her cheeks at the praise didn't escape him, and neither did the fact that she avoided his gaze.

Eyes downcast, she responded. 'Surely you would have been better served by one of Commander Vadumee's Special Operations agents. I am sure he would have provided you with one if you had asked - or even an Ossoona.'

'Are you questioning my judgement, Apprentice?' Thel cut in.

Vassiminde bowed low at that. When she spoke, she sounded flustered. 'Of course not, your Excellency! I would never presume to -'

'Then do not devalue yourself,' Thel interrupted, more gently this time. 'I am proud to have you serving as part of my crew. Besides, Commander Vadumee assigned us this mission on behalf of the Prophets. They specifically requested me, and my most capable crew members. To doubt yourself is to doubt the Prophets.'

Vassiminde nodded. Thel could tell the young Sangheili didn't trust herself to speak.

'I know you will not fail me,' he finished, and they exited the room.

Almost immediately the two Sangheili encountered a group of human Marines. Even as the humans raised their projectile weapons, their leader issuing a command, Vassiminde roared a battle cry and fired her plasma rifle through them.

The humans fell back, and screams of pain rang shrilly in Thel's head. He finished off the leader, who was still alive and trying to fire his weapon. They continued on quickly, passing through metallic corridors constructed square and smooth in the primitive human fashion. His sword and Vassiminde's plasma rifle made short work of the occasional group of human soldiers they encountered. There was only once a near casualty on their side - an audacious Marine lobbed one of their fragmentation grenades, which had landed dangerously close to Vassiminde's feet. Fortunately she had caught sight of it in time, sending it flying back towards the humans with a short but deadly kick.

Finally they approached a narrow corridor, which turned into a smaller hallway. Beyond a nearby door, Thel could hear the telltale hum of machines, probably what passed for computers among the humans.

'Vassiminde,' he motioned, and the navigation apprentice halted. 'The bridge is likely to be beyond this door. Proceed with caution.'

'Ship Master?'

Thel turned to face her. 'Yes, Apprentice?'

The female Sangheili looked down in the vicinity of her feet again. 'My name is rather long and unwieldy. If you wish to give me an order in the midst of battle, you would be better served by calling me Vassi.'

Thel nodded. It made sense. 'If you wish.' Part of his mind noted with interest, to the side, that Vassi was a male Sangheili name. Perhaps she merely wished to fit in with the rest of the crew.

Whatever Vassi's reasons for suggesting the shortening of her name, the Ship Master had other things on his mind.

He moved forward, entering the room ahead. A momentary scan of the room confirmed that it was the bridge. It was not dissimilar to the _Unparalleled Supremacy's_ own control room.

The human ship bridge was spacious, with chairs positioned in front of various computer systems. Unlike the _Supremacy's _control room, which was manned at all times, this ship's bridge was deserted.

'I will retrieve the artificial intelligence construct, Ship Master,' Vassi said, moving towards the main computer terminal.

'Wait,' Thel cautioned, just as the door they'd entered through opened.

The first thing Thel did was to condition himself against the alien emotion threatening to slow his reflexes and dull his battle instinct. It couldn't be fear, of course it wasn't fear. Sangheili didn't feel fear. Lesser species did, but not his race, not the Sangheili.

Even so, Thel had to forcibly tighten his grip on his energy sword as he stared at the reflective orange visor, the pearlescent green armour which was so much bulkier than his own.

He had never seen one before, but he had heard the reports on these creatures, and knew the human name for them.

_Spartan. _

* * *

Dun dun DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!

Sorry to end on a cliffhanger, but I really need to go get some sleep. Right now. Otherwise I'll be dead tomorrow. And every word in this fanfiction will be BRAINS.

Please don't kill and eat me. Vassi tried already. Apparently being stuck in limbo for seven weeks does that to people. Umm, and Sangheili.


	11. Flawless

I would like to say how sorry I am for taking ages to update (again). I know I've said this before, but I'll try to write faster. I really will.

* * *

Oblivion

Chapter 11 - Flawless

* * *

Vassi was frozen.

She should have been lifting her plasma rifle right now, squeezing the trigger, but her arm felt improbably heavy. She was helpless, and she hated herself for it. The Ship Master had honoured her, put his trust in her to serve him capably, and she had failed him.

As if in slow motion, the demon raised its weapon. The fluorescent light illuminating the ship's bridge gleamed off the metal of its muzzle.

The muscles in Vassi's arm gained new strength just in time, and she swung her plasma rifle into the air. Her thumb had half-depressed the trigger when Ship Master 'Vadamee stepped in front of her.

The roar of bullets was deafening in the enclosed space, more so than it had been in the corridors of the ship. Vassi saw with astonishment that the Ship Master was holding his sword in the path of the demon's fire. The bullets rebounded off the flat of the sword's blade, falling with hollow metallic clinking sounds on the floor.

'Vassi! Take the construct!' Master 'Vadamee barked.

Vassi stumbled a little as she moved to obey. She slipped the crystalline chip out of the slot in the terminal, carrying it between thumb and forefinger. The demon started forward at that, and the Ship Master moved his sword in a swinging arc towards his opponent. The demon dodged the strike, which would have sheared Vassi herself in half, and fired.

It was obvious that the demon's aim had been to injure the Ship Master, but her commanding officer lunged, avoiding the line of fire. The bullets sped past Vassi, one clipping her elbow. She gasped, even though her energy shields had absorbed the hit and prevented her from taking any damage.

Her shielding would have depleted in part, which didn't bode well. Her armour was only that of a Sangheili Minor. Its shielding capacity was limited, and the recharge time slow. Vassi quickly assessed the situation, and realised that there was an excellent chance she would die aboard this human ship.

The thought alarmed her, frightened her even. Vassi was deeply ashamed at that. She was a Sangheili. She wasn't supposed to know fear. In any case, she'd done everything she'd always wanted to have done before the end of her life. She had fought as a soldier in the Covenant army. She had left Sanghelios, she had visited High Charity. She had avoided discrimination on Master 'Vadamee's ship. In truth, she had avoided a lot of things, including marriage.

Instead of thinking of K'ruk, Vassi glanced at the Ship Master. Then she made herself focus. If she was going to die here, it wouldn't be for nothing.

She levelled her plasma rifle, preparing to fire. If she couldn't kill the demon, she could at least die honourably.

'Run!' the Ship Master ordered.

Vassi's eyes widened. 'But -'

'Our orders are to retrieve this construct. Go!' The Ship Master turned, forcing the demon away from the door with another sword strike. Vassi realised he was making room for her to get out.

There were a lot of things she wanted to say. _I need to stay. It's my duty. I won't fail you. I won't run where I should stand and fight. _

_I won't leave you to die. _

But none of them managed to force their way into her mouth, and Vassi remained silent. She'd been mentally conditioned all her life to follow orders from anyone who was her superior. There was nothing she could do but run.

And run she did.

Vassi sprinted, going back the same way she and the Ship Master had come in. She passed the evidence of their movement through the ship. She passed the corpses of human soldiers, blistered with plasma burns. Blood pooled on the metallic floor, the result of Master 'Vadamee's sword.

Vassi tried to reassure herself. The Ship Master was a Zealot. His rank alone meant that he had to have personally slain hundreds, even thousands of enemies. He was stronger than she could ever hope to be.

But those human demons -

She had heard the stories. All Sangheili had. Those faceless creatures in their green armour had been responsible for the deaths of many of her race. Vassi knew the Ship Master would look on it as an honour, to face such a deadly opponent in battle.

But would he survive?

That thought stopped her in her tracks. She stood still in the middle of the corridor, silence ringing in her ears.

_No! _she thought to herself. _He gave you an order. _

Vassi turned, looking back in the direction of the ship's bridge.

_No. If you get off the ship alive, you'll be punished for insubordination. _

It was pointless. Her mind was already made up.

Vassi ran back towards the bridge, faster than she'd run away, and almost ran into Ship Master 'Vadamee.

'Disobeying your commanding officer, Apprentice?' The older Sangheili's voice sounded amused.

Vassi stared at him, confounded in a mixture of astonishment and relief. Above all, she felt overwhelming gratitude that he'd survived. She inspected him up and down, looking for the telltale stains of purplish blood. Not only had he survived, but he'd survived uninjured.

'You slew the enemy,' she whispered, with more than a little awe in her voice. 'Prophets be praised.'

'I did not. I merely injured the demon with a plasma grenade.' Vassi realised that the Ship Master was out of breath. 'The damage was done to its left leg. It was still able to walk, although slowly. It attempted to fight me, but I made the decision to leave.'

'Why?' Vassi was even more astounded than she'd been before. The Covenant didn't leave their enemies alive at the end of a battle, especially not the Sangheili. It was seen as insulting to one's opponent to not do them the courtesy of delivering a final blow.

'I was not proud of it.' The Ship Master looked away for a moment. 'But my orders were to complete this mission as quickly as possible, using minimal force. I did not wish to disobey.' He looked back at her, and Vassi saw the reproving look in his eye, tempered with amusement. 'Shall we regroup with the others elsewhere? My thoughts are that this area of the ship will not remain unattended for long.'

Vassi nodded in agreement, falling in behind her superior as they proceeded towards the escape pod. She guessed the _Unparalleled Supremacy _would be arriving soon to collect them.

They reached the airlocks, and Vassi caught sight of the other Minors. They hadn't been as fortunate as she and Master 'Vadamee. She could see the pockmarks left by human projectile weapons on blue armour. One Sangheili was holding his left arm, as if he could somehow force his blood back inside himself. Vassi pitied him. She wasn't sure if she could stand there as still as he was if a human had disgraced her by spilling her blood.

'Let us return to the escape pod,' the Ship Master called out. 'How did you fare here?'

'Neda moved forward out of the throng, and Vassi saw that he, too, was uninjured. 'I counted our numbers,' he said gravely. 'Some of us have fallen.'

The Ship Master inclined his head for a moment. 'Then they have suffered honourable deaths. And I hope they will not be forgotten when the time of the Great Journey comes.' He motioned for the Minors to follow him inside the pod. Vassi obeyed, glancing out through the glass above one of the other airlocks as she did. Her assessment had been correct. The _Unparalleled Supremacy _was waiting.

'You still have the construct?' he asked her.

Vassi's pulse raced. She thought for one terrifying moment that she'd left the chip behind, but it was still in her hand. 'Yes, Ship Master,' she replied.

The Ship Master nodded to her. 'Then we have succeeded in our mission, and I congratulate you.'

Vassi's mandibles opened. She wanted to correct her superior, to tell him she didn't need congratulations. _I disobeyed an order,_ she thought. _And I still failed to fight for my commander. _

She didn't feel as if she ought to be congratulated. She felt more than a little ashamed of herself.


	12. Genesis

I have been really lazy with this story. Yet again, I apologise profusely to everyone who likes it, but I've been kind of scared of updating with all the canon screwups I keep making. It annoys me immensely when I read that kind of thing in other people's stories, and it annoys me even more that I've done it myself. Particularly since to go back and change anything now would mean messing with everyone's heads. Plus I have been feeling like a failure as a Halo fan recently, since I do not own an Xbox 360 and have not yet played Reach.

Please don't kill me.

But I have decided to update, nevertheless. This is thanks to **carefreejohn. **(Thank you so, so much. To be honest I'd almost forgotten about writing this…lol.) Also, what better way to celebrate passing my first year of uni?

Passing Uni. Like a Boss.

I might have only just passed Maths and Earth Science (54 and 51 respectively) but who cares? I'm ditching them and doing chemistry next year, so too bad, so sad.

Also wanted to clarify something about the previous chapter.

I agree that Thel, and Sangheili in general, are kickass. I also agree that Thel could totally have taken out that Spartan-II. I actually did consider having Thel kill the Spartan in the story, but decided not to do it. This is because I have noticed, in other fanfictions, that there tends to be a lot (A LOT) of rage if the writer kills off a Spartan-II and the death isn't canon. Since I've been trying (and kind of failing) to write this _within _the canon, I was loath to kill a Spartan - even an anonymous one.

Hence the narrow escape, and the Spartan injured rather than dead. Essentially, I decided to cover my own back rather than have Thel kick ass. Yes, he hates me. Everyone in this story does. I must have put them through about three months' worth of hiatus right now.

Okay, here's the chapter. I'll shut up now.

* * *

Oblivion

Chapter 12 - Genesis

* * *

Thel scanned down the row of Sangheili.

The team which had gone with him aboard the human ship on the mission had assembled for the formal acknowledgement of their efforts by the Special Operations Commander, as well as a debriefing. But Thel knew that wasn't the only reason for their presence there.

They were to be given a new assignment, and he had some idea of what it would be.

His eyes fell on Vassiminde Voro - or, as she'd asked him to call her, Vassi. She looked distraught, and Thel now knew why.

He recalled the conversation with K'ruk. His subordinate had come to his quarters aboard the _Unparalleled Supremacy _shortly after the mission.

'I wish to congratulate you on your victory, Ship Master.'

Thel had inclined his head. 'My thanks, but the victory was not mine alone. The team I selected performed well.'

'Including my apprentice?' K'ruk had asked.

Thel had met his lieutenant's eyes at that. 'Why do you ask?' he had replied, curious. 'Do you doubt her ability?'

'I would never doubt the competence of a crewmember hand-picked by my Ship Master.' K'ruk had inclined his head. 'Indeed, Vassiminde has proven herself to be worthy of your choice. I merely asked because she has seemed out of sorts since your return from the human ship.'

'I see.' Thel had paused, wondering how to address it. Vassi had disobeyed his order to flee, and insubordination to one's superior was of course a grave matter. That was the truth, no matter what the case.

Nevertheless, reason came into it as well. Thel knew she had been returning to fight alongside him against the human demon. He could understand that, and sympathise with it. He was, after all, a Sangheili, as was she. It had gone against the grain of his being to order one of his race to retreat. It was more than understandable that Vassi would feel that same conflict herself, and decide to disobey. Even so, she had done it at the potential cost of the mission - essentially disobeying the Prophets themselves - and Thel had intended to give her some form of reprimand, albeit a gentle one, upon their return.

Thel had told K'ruk the story of what had happened aboard the human ship. K'ruk had listened, eyes attentive. When Thel had finished he had spoken. 'I must admit, Ship Master, this does come as something of a relief.'

'I am puzzled as to what you mean.'

K'ruk had looked directly at him. 'I had feared this ill humour of Vassiminde's was a result of my proposal of marriage to her.'

Thel had been genuinely surprised. In retrospect, he could see the logic of the union. Vassiminde was destined by blood to become the Voro Kaidon, and it was more than likely that K'ruk was the future Kaidon of the Danas family.

What had thrown him after K'ruk's explanation was the image of his lieutenant and his lieutenant's apprentice together, in an equitable relationship. Thel simply couldn't see it happening in any believable fashion.

They were too far apart. K'ruk was steadfast, reliable, a trustworthy second-in-command. Thel had known the other Sangheili man for many years, had attended the academy on Sanghelios with him. He had felt that there was very little K'ruk could do that would surprise him.

But Vassi -

She was loyal to her superiors, yes. She had proven that much on the human battle cruiser - even in disobeying her commanding officer, she had been trying to assist him. She was a good warrior, steady and capable in her service to him and to the Covenant army. But she wasn't devoted entirely to its cause. She didn't fight for the Prophets alone.

She fought for herself, and for her freedom.

Now, standing in the antechamber in High Charity, Thel briefly wondered how Vassi herself was feeling about such a union.

'The Prophets have bestowed their congratulations on all of you.' 'Rtas paused. 'And I offer mine with them. It is no small matter to attain possession of a human artificial intelligence construct.'

None of the Minors in the room moved at the praise, but Thel could see the brightening of young Sangheili eyes. The only one in the room who failed to react to the Commander's words was Vassi Voro, who was standing with bowed head next to the newly promoted Major-domo.

'Neda, in contrast, was holding his head high. His crimson armour gleamed with newness, the shine on his helmet matching the sheen of pride in his eyes.

'As we speak the Huragok are making progress on removing the construct's defences,' 'Rtas continued. 'Ship Master 'Vadamee, you have chosen a capable crew.'

Thel nodded in acknowledgement.

'Which brings me to another matter of business.' The other Sangheili cleared his throat, the undamaged mandibles flexing in time with the muscles in his neck. 'In light of your achievements and impressive record of service in the Covenant army, the Prophets have nominated you for the position of Master of the Fleet of Particular Justice.'

Even the Minors, holding themselves motionless, couldn't suppress their reactions at the announcement. Thel heard gasps, awed whispers.

'By the Prophets,' murmured 'Neda.

Again, Vassi made no motion to show that she'd heard. She remained staring fixedly at the ground some distance away from her feet.

Thel himself wasn't particularly surprised at the news. He had known about the assembling of the fleet, one of the largest and proudest in Covenant history. The only detail which hadn't been made known to him or anyone else was the identity of its Fleet Master.

There had been brief but heated conjecture as to who would be the recipient of the promotion. Thel knew the candidate would undoubtedly be a Zealot or higher, as well as someone holding the rank of Ship Master or above. He, like all the other high-ranking Sangheili, had considered who would be chosen for the position. Thel had made a mental list of all the likely candidates, including himself as a matter of course. There might have been many others with his rank and status in the Covenant military, but there were few which had the same amount of experience.

It was publicly rumoured that the Fleet of Particular Justice's maiden voyage would be the destruction of one of the humans' key strongholds. Thel had guessed that the stronghold in question would be Reach. In light of his recent reconnaissance mission for the Prophets, it made the likelihood of his promotion to Fleet Master that much stronger.

'I am honoured to be chosen,' he replied. 'I will humbly serve the Prophets in whatever they ask.'

'Their first request is that you lead the Fleet against the human world Reach,' 'Rtas answered, proving Thel's suspicions correct. 'They will give you further details in the privacy of the council chamber.'

Thel caught the double meaning. He was to be given instructions not for his crewmembers to hear, important information which would form a vital blow against the Covenant in this mission if the humans were to discover it.

'I assume my ship will lead the Fleet of Particular Justice?'

'Rtas nodded. 'If that is your will. Of course, the necessary repairs are still being made.' He looked amused. 'It is my understanding that you have had an encounter with a Kig-Yar pirate boarding party in your travels, Ship Master.'

'Indeed.' Thel returned the amused expression. 'Although I admit they were the worse off in the clash.'

'I expected as much.' 'Rtas turned away. 'You must wish to prepare yourself for your journey. I will escort you out, to wherever you and your crew would like to go.'

It was a dismissal. Thel nodded again as he and his subordinates filed out, casting another glance at Vassi. As they left the room, she looked up, meeting his eyes with hers, clear and blue.

She looked away just as quickly. Thel felt no urge to reassure her as to her position among his crew.

Her trials, after all, weren't over yet.

* * *

Chapter is donezors.

Time to go to sleep. I need to sleep more. I'm doing a karate grading in…let's see, ten days. Here's hoping I pwn it like the Fleet of Particular Justice pwns Reach. Yes, I went there. Sorry, humanity.


	13. Blue

An update! Yay!

Thank you so much to everyone who's reviewed so far - you're the reason I write. If I haven't replied to your review I'm sorry. I'm honestly not lazy or antisocial. I just don't have much in the way of Internet access at the moment - I work from a laptop, so I have to go to my university in order to be online. And since I'm on holidays, that requires a significant amount of effort. (Also I've been busy playing StarCraft, which I got for Christmas.)

Slightly off topic: I played Reach on New Year's Eve for the first time. I was fairly horrible at it because the Xbox controller seemed to want to laugh in my face, but it was still utterly fantastic.

Anyway, merry late Christmas, have a chapter.

* * *

Oblivion

Chapter 13 - Blue

* * *

Vassi knew she should be feeling nothing but excitement and anticipation.

She knew that any of the Sangheili males in her graduating class at the academy would have given their arms and legs to be in her position. She was an inexperienced Minor, essentially a foot soldier, and she was going to be involved in what was arguably the most important Covenant strike against humanity during the entire war.

But her stomach was twisted into a knot inside her, and she knew why.

She had dishonoured the Ship Master with her indiscretion, and she still hadn't resolved the issue of her immediate superior's proposal of marriage.

Vassi sighed, hunching her body over the navigation computer. She was the only one in the control room. It was rare enough that she got a few moments to herself, and she knew she should be glad of the privacy.

How did she go about saying no to K'ruk? Could she even _afford _to say no? The Ship Master had been silent towards her as of late, and Vassi knew all too well that she should be feeling grateful that K'ruk had even done her the courtesy of asking her in person. Usually if a male Sangheili wanted a female for his wife, he had to speak to the Kaidon of the female's family. Only then would a decision be made. It was rare that the Sangheili woman in question had any say in the matter.

She could say no to him. The possibility was there, but -

She _couldn't. _

Vassi tried to think what would actually happen if she refused him. To the best of her knowledge, it had never happened before. In the rare situation where the relationship between male and female was equitable, the female either cared for the male as he cared for her, or she married for the opportunity of living as his equal. It wasn't an opportunity that came along overmuch.

She was his _subordinate. _If she refused him -

A new, horrible idea entered Vassi's mind. If she _did _say no to K'ruk, he would just go to her father and obtain his permission that way.

She knew there was no possibility that 'Tnes would refuse her suitor his consent. The possibility of her marriage had always been a shadow lingering over her, ever since her infancy. There had never been a time when Vassi had been too young to understand the concept of marriage, of subjugating herself to a male of her species. After all, at the beginning of her life, that had been her purpose.

She had been sent to the Voro harem shortly after her birth, and hadn't been claimed by her father until three years later. Vassi could still vaguely remember it, not details but the sensation more than anything else. She could still remember being a nameless female, having no identity of her own.

After her father's acknowledgement the possibility of her marriage had dwindled into remoteness. Vassi had no longer truly been a female after that. She had been a female living as a Sangheili man, and so none of them had wanted her.

Even so, the inevitability of it had loomed over her even after 'Tnes had claimed her as his own. She was going to be Kaidon someday, and would eventually have to produce an heir of her own. It was true that a Kaidon had the right to breed with any unmarried Sangheili of the opposite gender, and that Vassi herself could exercise that right once the title was hers. But she could recognise the reality of things. No male with any sense of honour would submit himself to her in that way.

_Kaidon _would never trump _woman, _and no male would ever submit to a female.

Vassi sighed. Again she ran up against the wall of it, the dreaded conclusion. Someday, she would have to marry.

Unbidden, a face loomed in her mind. It wasn't K'ruk Danasee's, or even her father's.

The eyes in Vassi's head, orange-gold and a few shades darker than his armour, belonged to Ship Master Thel 'Vadamee.

To her horror and shame, she felt blood flood into her face. Her cheeks heated, and she drew her knees to her chest like a frightened child. She was disgusting. She disgusted herself with such behaviour, and she had clearly disgusted him as well.

Vassi was sure the Ship Master regretted the kindness he had done her now. He had named her capable, worthy of fighting at his side, and how had she repaid him? She had disobeyed his orders, and personally insulted him at the same time.

She had gone back to aid him on the human ship. She had essentially said that she believed the Ship Master needed her help, that he was incapable of surviving on his own. That made Vassi's face burn again.

As well as that, she couldn't hide her feelings about the promotion.

Vassi heard the soft hiss of the control room doors sliding open, heard the heavy footsteps of the new Major entering. Hastily, she let her knees fall down, pretending to be absorbed in the computer screen. It was too late, she knew. 'Neda had seen. That made the feelings of shame well up anew. Angrily, she blinked, forcing the hot tingle in her eyes to go away.

'We do not depart for Reach for another two hours,' he said. 'You are not needed here.'

Vassi rose out of her chair. 'Of course, Major,' she said, her throat tight. 'I will find duties elsewhere.'

'That - that is not necessary.' 'Neda's hand moved to her shoulder, turning her to face him. Vassi's breath caught. 'I have something I wish to discuss with you, Vassiminde.' He hesitated over her name, almost stumbling.

Vassi inclined her head so as to avoid looking him in the eye. 'What is it, Major?' she asked, knowing what was coming. 'Neda had never particularly liked her. Doubtless he was here to reprimand her.

Even that would be better, she supposed. The Ship Master hadn't reprimanded her for her actions aboard the human vessel. Enduring that sort of silence was straining her beyond belief. A punishment would be better, even a degrading one.

'You seem - out of sorts.' Looking up Vassi saw that his eyes were a light clear yellow, paler than Master 'Vadamee's. 'May I ask why?'

Vassi guessed what he was up to, and her jaw tightened. 'With respect, I would rather keep this to myself, Major,' she replied, stressing his title. 'I thank you for your concern.' _So go somewhere else to gloat over your promotion, _she added silently.

'We cannot be divided on this mission,' he said, voice firm and insistent. 'I am voicing my concern as your superior. If you do not wish to discuss your problems with me, speak to the Ship Master, or the Lieutenant.'

That was salt in the wound. To her further shame, Vassi felt her eyes begin to water. 'I think we both know that is hardly possible,' she said tightly.

'Neda glared at her. 'And why is that?' he demanded. 'Is it because I was promoted to Major, and you were not? Do you think you cannot speak to Master 'Vadamee because of this?'

Vassi stared at him, taken aback, unable to believe that he'd said it. 'I -' she started.

'I never intended to say this to you, Vassiminde.' 'Neda looked away from her, as if ashamed. 'We all knew one of us would gain the title of Major soon. It is highly unusual for a crew this size to have only one with that rank. In all honesty, I expected the Ship Master's choice to be you.'

Vassi no longer knew how she'd been intending to finish the sentence she'd started.

'All of us wanted to know the Ship Master's reasons for choosing a woman as part of his crew.' 'Neda still wasn't looking her in the eye. 'None of us were ever impudent enough to question his decision. When I became Major -'

Vassi understood. 'You had access to my record,' she finished.

'Neda nodded. 'Even without that knowledge, the way you have conducted yourself on board this ship -' He paused. 'I cannot deny that I was expecting you to slip up. Nevertheless, you never did. You have served the Ship Master loyally, and never been selfish in doing your duty. Did you ever seek a promotion?'

Vassi shook her head. 'No,' she said, hesitant.

'I cannot say the same.' 'Neda sounded distinctly bitter. Vassi felt a surge of unexpected sympathy for him.

'There is nothing wrong with seeking to do honour to your family,' she said. 'You deserve your position. I -' She hesitated. Then Vassi tightened her jaws, deciding. 'Neda, who as he'd said was her superior, had voiced his own personal concern to her. The least she could do was return the courtesy.

'I have displeased the Ship Master,' she ended heavily. She explained the incident on board the human ship, how she'd directly disobeyed an order. 'Neda didn't look surprised at her story, which made Vassi's chest tighten. _Master 'Vadamee must have told him already, _she thought to herself.

When she'd finished he was silent, taking a moment to reply. 'I will set you at ease,' he said awkwardly. 'He is not angry with you.'

Vassi's eyes widened, her hearts thudding. 'Then -' she started. There were so many ways she could finish the sentence, so many questions she wanted to ask.

_Why does he avoid being in the same room as me? Why does he no longer address me except to acknowledge me as a subordinate? Why, then, does he _act _as if he is angry with me?_

'Neda seemed to understand. 'I cannot say.' His eyes blinked under the red gleam of his Major's helmet. 'But you will understand soon.' He turned away, walking towards the door.

Vassi forced herself not to ask. She knew she had to respect his, and the Ship Master's, wishes.

She merely had to be patient.

'Thank you,' she said, watching him leave the room.

* * *

Oh, and if anybody's interested, I passed my karate grading with flying colours. I am now a Kyokushin 7th Kyu. That's if you care. (You probably don't.)

Anyway, I'm off for today. I have work to go to.


End file.
